Harry Dean Johnson, Longtime Jamestown Resident, Dies at 78

Harry Dean Johnson, 78, the Kulm native who became a recognizable face at the old Perkins in Jamestown and for whom, as his obituary puts it, "family and friends were everything," died quietly in his sleep Thursday, March 26, 2026, at Eventide Care Center. He had made Jamestown his home with his wife, Dianna, since marrying her there on July 15, 1989.

Anyone who spent time at that Perkins table knew Johnson's spot. His obituary captures the image directly: "Harry could be found, typically at the old Perkins, having coffee with family and friends." That kind of steady, unhurried presence defined his years in Jamestown as much as any chapter of his working life.

The road to that table covered a lot of ground. Johnson was born October 28, 1947, in Kulm to Herman and Fannie (Johnson) Johnson, attended Swede School #1, and graduated from Kulm High School in 1965. As a boy he sang regularly on Rev. McCoy's radio program, an early sign of a man who was most himself in the company of others. He later worked the gold mines in Lead, South Dakota, returned to Kulm to farm, and put in time at both Haybusters Mfg. and Border States Paving before settling into Jamestown.

Life with Dianna had its own steady rhythms. The couple was known for dancing when they were young, then shifted to daily walks together Monday through Friday as the years passed. Travel stretched beyond the Northern Plains: highlights included a trip to Alaska and a journey to Sweden, where they visited ancestral relatives.

Johnson is survived by his wife, Dianna (Remmick) Schwind; stepsons Todd (Sue) Schwind and Chad (Mari) Schwind; four grandchildren, Chelsea, Kadence, Karson and Lily Schwind; four step-grandchildren, Austin Vik-Rae, Rylee, Joey and Abbie Ferguson; brother Leo Johnson; sister Ardella (Roger) Grenz; sister-in-law Betty Johnson Boschee; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Arlow, Vertice, Duane, Herbert and Dennis; sisters Arleth, LaVonne and Denome; brothers-in-law Darwin Woehl and Raymond Woehl; and sisters-in-law Rosemary, Lois, Dorothy and Barbara.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, April 7, 2026, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Haut Funeral Home, 1101 5th Ave. NE, Jamestown, with a prayer service at 7 p.m. The funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 11 a.m. at United Presbyterian Church, 302 2nd Ave. SE, Jamestown. Interment will follow at Swede Cemetery in Kulm at approximately 2:15 p.m.